St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-15
BENNY HANNAFIN.
His Method of Conducting a Tenn
Perance Meeting.
Special to the Globe

Special to the GLOBE.
BISMARCK, Jan. ii found Denny
Hannafin to-day pacing up and down the
main corridor of the capitol in an uneasy
sort of a way. l approached Denny and
shook hands with him. Denny shakes
hands i'll much the same way that a we'll
trained dog would hand you his front foot
if you asked him to give you his paw. 1t
is cold, clammy, motionless sort of
shake, and chills your blood rather than
gives you the impression that you have
hold OF certain portion of a human being.
Denny remarked that this was the third
time that he had visited the capitol building
since its erection. He incidentally stated
that he had taken great deal of interest
in its removal from YanktOn, and when the
North Dakota clans put their shoulder to
the wheel of the dump cart that took it
from the South Dakota city and dumped it
on the plains of North Dakota, he joined
the rest of the gang and helped push the
dump cart nOrthward.
I'm only small, insignificant sort of a
Democrat nowadays" said Denny. II might
be Il commodore if [ owned yawl on the
Missouri river or steamboat with q wheel
attached to the behind end to kick it up and
down the valley, but don't, and I'm
AN HUMBLE DEMOCRAT
and id humble one, too. / have been
right here in this town for the last thirteen
years, and been a delegate to every Demo-
cratic convention held in this county, but
don't ask any odds OF these big guns. get
| along without them trst-rate, and they don't
bother me. l went round and bought up all
the small claims for 500, $500 and 81 900,
| held by people on this capitol build
| ing. You see the capitol was built
| by subscription of S100, 600, made up by the
! pc Hple of Bismarck, and many of the citizens
| paid low rs $25, and the sums ranged up
ward till they reached into the thousands. L
went around and bought up all these small
| claims that could get hold of, sort of spec
| ulatun, you see. l reckon the grass will be
| as green on my grave as q feather on an
| Irishman's hat on st. Patrick'S day before I
| realize anything Off the venture, but then 1
| took Il chance. 1t is like placing your money
on the eagle when you are playing roulette.
If the ball stops on the bird you get twenty
| seven Tor one.
Denny had the reputation at one time of
being the boss gambler of the Missouri river
valley. That was several years ago, when
it paid man to play strictly honest
game, and each player protected his pile
WITH A SEVEN SHOOTER.
This is the kind of game that Denny plays
| nowadays. He has not departed from the
| old time rule. He believes that honesty is
the best policy. and when he gets mixed up
in game with modern gamblers he in
variably gets the worst of it, for they will
cheat, and that is something that Denny
doesn't know how to do and do it success
fully. Denny plays but little poker nova
days. He is paying attention to reforma-
tory movements. y short time ago he or
ganized temperance society. and one even
ing delivered an address that drew to the
society hall Ole of the largest and most
select audiences that has ever greeted a
speaker in Bismarck. He poured out his
eloquence for an hour and half and was
quietly and attentively listened to by his
auditors, who frequently applauded his
oratory. At the close of the meeting he in
vited couple Of deacons of the Baptist
church down to Gritiin's saloon to have &
drink.
II thought you was temperance manY
| calculated the deacons in some surprise.
80 | ann" replied Denny, ''but I'm id il
Pm tot al abstainer. If you don't want tC
come and drink with me you can make d
sneak. propose to moisten my weaZen be
fore go atween the Sheets"
And bidding the astonished deacons good
night. Denny tipped his hat on the back Of
his head, sauntered round the corner tC
Griffin's saloon, where he absorbed his Gus
tomary night cap. TEE AITCH.